Henry V

Though there were previous films of Shakespeare plays Olivier considered this one to be the first. He was right. Using three strip Technicolor he recreats the middle ages of Friossart's Chronicles beginning the film with the camera descending into 16th Century London, past London Bridge across South Bank and into the Globe Theatre where the groundlings are assembled for a performance of William Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth. We see the actors backstage preparing for their entrances (including the boys who played female roles) and the first few acts are shown on the Globe stage itself. Olivier solves the problem of "opening up" the filmed stage play by taking us out of the theatre at the same time that the play shifts to Southampton. At first we see scenes filmed on sets that clearly use overblown and artificial looking painted backdrops; then to outdoor locations in Ireland for the battle scenes. The backdrops are purposefully overdone. Olivier said that Shakespeare (especially in Henry V) can come across as looking too unreal on film. By using such over the top sets the actors in their theatrical costumes would come across as appearing more real.Another technique was to reverse the usual camera work for the scenes with famous orations. Instead of moving in for close ups during the "Once More Unto The Breach" or the "St. Crispins Day" speeches, Olivier does the opposite. The scenes start in medium close and as the volume intensifies the camera pulls back to a long shot to take in not only Olivier's powerful renditions but the grandeur of the sets. It works brilliantly.Then there are the performances. Besided this being a record of Olivier's sheer vocal and personal power in his youthful prime we see the familiar actors from the British stage of that day such as Felix Aylmer, Leo Genn, Esmond Knight, Leslie Banks and Robert Newton. They deliver stage-like performances on film which is what Oliver intended since this film is a stage play taken outside and then, at the end, back into the Globe for applause by the audience of Shakespeare's time - and for us, the film audience of today.Mention must be made of William Walton's magnificent score. It's a classic and has been recorded on CD. The music evokes the Bard's era in the quieter scenes and delivers tremendous emotional intensity in the battle scenes, most notably in the cavalry charge of the French Knights at Agincourt.Yes, this was a film made at the urging of Winston Churchill to buck up the English audience under seige by the Nazis during the Second World War but Olivier transcends mere propoganda by creating the Shakespeare film to end all Shakespeare films. The Criterion release is definitely the one to purchase. The electronically remastered version dispenses with the cracks and fuzzy frames that were seen for years in old prints. This one brings out the grandeur of Laurence Olivier as both actor and director. This film is a must.

This is a brilliantly conceived movie-within-a-play-within-a-movie that showcases the genius of Laurence Olivier. Today's audiences are exposed mainly to Olivier the movie star. But if you want to see a purer form of acting, see Olivier the stage actor. This is possible by watching his Shakespeare plays on film. And these films are by Olivier the "auteur," long before the title was coined. Olivier's is the legacy to which Branaugh, the darling of the current generation, fancies himself the pretender.And lest you're expecting a camera pointed at a stage, don't worry. Olivier, who produced and directed most of his Shakespeare films, has actually used the film medium to enlarge his plays' visual scope, while maintaining the intimacy that is the essence of live theatre. Moreover, Olivier is mindful of how daunting the language of Shakespeare is for modern audiences and has modified much of the original script to be more comprehensible, while preserving the feel of Elizabethan English.Olivier's "Henry V" was to England what Eisentein's "Ivan the Terrible" was to Russia - a familiar history rendered as a national epic, for morale purposes, while audiences were fighting off the Germans during World War II. There are other parallels. For example, both use static, formalized composition, in Henry V's case, meant to resemble the images in medieval illuminated manuscripts and books of Hours. (In Ivan's case, according to Kael, like Japanese Kabuki.) Thus, a soundstage "exterior" backdrop becomes a tableau that serves to enhance, with its flat perspective and subjective scale, the view we have of that fabulous Age of Chivalry, for which the play's Battle of Agincourt was the closing act.I've always sneered at the extravagant accolades which show business gives its own. But after seeing this film, or the equally brilliant "Hamlet," I can understand why this man was so good that a knighthood wasn't enough, and why he was raised to the peerage.By the way, the Criterion DVD is beautiful.

This version is a bit dated since the Branagh one came out, but it has a few things going for it. For one, the introduction that sets up the South Bank, the Globe, and the audience and actors getting ready for the performance to begin. I use it every semester on the first day that I teach Shakespeare to get the students thinking about how the plays might have been performed. For another, in the final scene, the women are actually played by men, as they would have been in Shakespeare's day. And you can't deny that Olivier had a wonderful command of the language.

Once again, Sir Lawrence Olivier distinguishes himself as the master of film in this epic Shakespearean historical play. This film is also Olivier's directorial debut--and what a debut! It was released in 1944 and filmed during WWII in worn-torn Britain but due to frequent air-raids filming was relocated to Ireland, though you'd never know it. This is truly a great film not only because it is Shakespeare committed to celluloid, but also because of Olivier's skill and talent. This is movie-making! A must have for anyone who loves film and great acting--another Olivier triumph!

Laurence Olivier spielte vor seiner Filmkarriere mit großem Erfolg am Theater. Seine Liebe zu den Shakespeare Dramen ließ sich schon damals nicht verbergen. Mit "Romeo und Julia" wurde er zum gefeierten Star des Theaters. Auch in dem 1936 gedrehten Film "Wie es euch gefällt" war er einer der Mitwirkenden. 1944 realisierte er voller Begeisterung seinen ersten Film als Regisseur. Der Film "Heinrich V" wurde von der britischen Regierung zu Kriegszeiten als ideale patriotische Propaganda angesehen. Olivier diente zu dieser Zeit in der Luftwaffe der Seestreitkräfte und wurde durch den Dreh dieser ambitionierten Literaturverfilmung vom Dienst befreit. Nachdem William Wyler als Regisseur absagte, gab man Olivier diese Chance. Der Schauspieler, der auch noch mit produzierte und das Drehbuch verfasste, fand ein Mittel, Shakespeares Theater mit dem breiten Spektrum der filmischen Möglichkeiten zu kombinieren. Alles bginnt damit, dass die Kamera über ein elisabethanisches Miniatur London gleitet, hin zum Globe Theater, wo die Aufführung von Shakespeares Stück stattfinden soll. Das Publikum sitzt auch schon auf den Plätzen und so schaut der Zuschauer einer Theateraufführung aus längst vergangenen Tagen zu. Der Sprecher fordert aber sein Publikum auf die Phantasie zuzulassen, denn für den kommenden kriegerischen Konflikt wird der König und sein Heer über den Kanal müssen, um den Kampf mit den Franzosen aufzunehmen. All dies wird dem Zuschauer in Technicolor präsentiert.Das Stück beginnt auf einem Balkon, wo zwei Geistliche, der Erzbischof von Canterbury (Felix Aylmer) und der Bischof von Ely (Robert Helpman), über die aktuellen Staatsangelegenheiten diskutieren. König Heinrich (der natürlich von Olivier gespielt wird) kommt anschließend herein, um mit seinen Adligen über den Zustand Frankreichs zu sprechen, und entdeckt, dass der Dauphin von Frankreich (Max Adrian) ihm ein Geschenk überreicht hat, das sich als Tennisbälle herausstellt - ein Witz über seine Jugend und Unerfahrenheit. Beleidigt entlässt er den französischen Botschafter und bereitet sich darauf vor, den französischen Thron zu beanspruchen, der seiner Meinung nach rechtmäßig ihm zusteht.Daraufhin beschließen der Gefreite Nym (Frederic Cooper), Bardolph (Roy Emerton) und Pistol (Robert Newton), sich Heinrichs Armee anzuschließen, doch bevor sie dies wirklich tun können, stirbt Falstaff (George Robey), ein Gefährte und Mentor des Königs. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt verlagert sich die Handlung vom Globe nach Southampton. Dort schiffen sich englische Truppen auf einer Schiffsflotte ein, landen an der französischen Küste und beginnen einen Kriegszug bis nach Harfleur, das von Heinrichs Truppen belagert wird. Während der Belagerung hielt Heinrich seine erste enthusiastische Rede an seine Truppen, bevor sie die Stadt stürmten. Die Engländer marschierten dann nach Azincourt, wo sie auf die französischen Truppen trafen und sich beide Seiten auf die Schlacht am nächsten Tag vorbereiteten. In der Nacht vor der bevorstehenden Schlacht streift Henry als Landsknecht verkleidet durch das Lager, um zu erfahren, was die Männer über ihn denken. Als der Morgen graut, hält Henry seine berühmte St.-Crispin-Rede. Als der Morgen an diesem 25. Oktober 1415 graut, stehen die Engländer einem zahlenmäßig weit überlegenem Heer der Franzosen gegenüber...Als Prinzessin Katharina ist Renee Asherson zu sehen. Der Film bekam 4 Oscarnominierungen und unabhängig davon erhielt Olvier einen Academy Honoray Award für seine herausragende Leistung als Schauspieler, Produzent und Regisseur dieser werkgetreuen Verfilmung, die wie Oliviers nachfolgende Shakespeare Adaptionen einen gewisse Magie ausstrahlen, die bis heute anhält. Für den Film erhielt Olivier einen Academy Honorary Award für "seine herausragende Leistung als Schauspieler, Produzent und Regisseur bei der Verfilmung von Henry V.".

très satisfait de cette version de Laurence Olivier

日本版DVDのレビューにも書いたが、僕は、ローレンス・オリビエの『ヘンリィ五世』の大ファンである。初めて観た時、観終わって、しばらく感動で動けなくなったのは、20代の後半、今から30年程も前のことである。僕は、これまで6000本を超える映画を観てきたが、あれほどの感動は、ほとんどなかったようである。このBlu-rayには、リージョンコードがかかっていて、日本製のハードでは観ることができなかった(日本人向けの商品説明には明記しておくべきだ)。僕は、このBlu-rayを観るために、リージョンフリーのハードを購入したのである。『ヘンリィ五世』でなければ、買わなかっただろう。この映画の魅力の半分は、鮮やかな色彩美に負っている。Blu-rayだからこその、鮮やかさが、あの感動を呼び起こしてくれた。このような名作のBlu-rayを(もちろん、この映画には限らないが)いまだに出さないで平然としている、日本のメーカーの不見識、不勉強には、情けなくなるばかりである。

I make bold claims for this wartime film of one of Shakespeare`s greatest plays. Olivier had by then had the chance to see several of the audaciously innovative films of Powell & Pressburger ("the Archers") in particular The Thief Of Baghdad and the then recent Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, both of which use colour brightly and with a bracing boldness which must have impressed the budding director. (Olivier had also had a role in their 1941 film 49th Parallel.)Everything in this astonishingly fresh and courageous film is a joy, and one can only imagine what it must have looked like to those who first saw it at the end of November 1944 on its release near the denouement of an exhausting, bloody war. Not only must it have been a source of pride (in a more jingoistic, patriotic age) but a feast for the eye and mind too.It still is.The initial conceit, to begin the play in a mock-up of the Globe - not yet restored to its present glory! - was an inspired and happy one. We not only get a `real` audience, who were encouraged to cheer, heckle, and generally make their presence felt, but plenty of surprisingly slapstick theatrics from the actors in the opening scene, having first been introduced by the then-famous Leslie Banks as Chorus with those stirring, inherently theatrical words:"Oh for a Muse of fire..."The players in the first scene include Felix Aylmer and Robert Helpmann, as the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely, whose `business` together is genuinely funny. We also get the legendary, invariably fruity actor Robert Newton as Pistol, who is here used as a kind of substitute Falstaff, such is his ebullience and mock-bravado, in a performance of rascally glee. I can`t help but wish Shakespeare had had the foresight to give Pistol at least one "Aaggh, Jim lad!"...Olivier soon arrives on the `wooden O` stage, but only after we`ve seen the actor coughing nervously offstage before his entrance: a lovely touch.The action of the play/film famously opens out and (for the viewer) leaves the confines of the stage and `becomes a film` when we go to war. The scenes at Harfleur and Agincourt have been justly praised, such is their beauty and cinematic inventiveness; let`s not forget the budget can`t have been big, however great the filmmakers` ambitions.After the war is won, the wooing of Katherine is delightfully directed and played. Here I must mention Renee Asherson as the French princess - as well as mentioning that, as of the typing of this review, the actress is still with us at 97! She gives a performance of pitch-perfect wit and blushing, yet knowing, innocence. Ms Asherson was fluent in French, which must have helped, but she adds a much-needed and most welcome feminine touch to what is, by necessity, a very male film.Many of the actors will now be obscure to anyone under about sixty, though nobody can fail to notice John Laurie as a stereotypical Scotsman in the battle scenes, or the 19 year-old George Cole in his second film, as `Boy`, a young pal of Pistol and his cronies.Freda Jackson gives Mistress Quickly`s eulogy on the death of Falstaff with simple and grave dignity, while old Falstaff himself is seen, in dumbshow, for a few precious moments in bed before his sad demise, and is played by Sir George Robey, a legendary comedian then known as the `Prime Minister of Mirth`. A rare appearance indeed.Max Adrian is a suitably fidgety and florid Dauphin, Harcourt Williams plays the French king - Charles VI, known as `Charles the Foolish` - with pernickety relish, and Valentine Dyall has a wonderful few minutes as the Duke of Burgundy, as he looks out over a conquered France - it is here the set designs really come into their own - his words eloquent accompaniment to a lengthy tracking shot of the French countryside that is partly a studio set, partly painted. It`s one of many such scenes of unforgettable cinematic daring in this always sumptuous work of art, and one of its aspects that most reminds one of Powell & Pressburger`s filmic quirks.For work of art is surely is. Olivier, with his cameramen, editors and designers made one of the great British films, of any age.There is even an effective, reflective scene in which the very young Anthony Newley plays a boy in the soldiers` camp - possibly the most likeable performance he was ever to give.But there are so many wonderful, sometimes heartstopping touches, such as when a bright blue banner fills the screen, then we see an extended arm as if pointing to it, only for the camera to move a little to show us one of the Frenchmen mid-yawn, arm naturally outstretched. Few directors would have bothered with such a seemingly facetious touch, but it is both witty and, in an odd way, moving.William Walton composed the insistent, vibrant score, using (uncredited) quite a few passages from Canteloube`s then not so famous Songs of the Auvergne. Did he think we wouldn`t notice?Oh, and by the way, contrary to one or two ridiculous, dismissive reviews here, not only are the costumes and sets brilliantly conceived, but Olivier (before his 1947 knighthood, let alone his later peerage) never puts a foot wrong. His ability to use the inbuilt rhythms and long-breathed phrases in Shakespeare`s poetry, whether to stir up his soldiers or to woo a princess, is awe-inspiring. He may not have had as `beautiful` a voice as Gielgud or Redgrave, but boy did he know how to speak verse.A stirring, stunning and ultimately moving masterpiece.

Die beste Verfilmung von Shakespeare.